Drones need rules, and fast, trade group tells regulators

Here’s something you don’t often hear in Washington: an industry asking for more rules, not fewer.

Michael Toscano, head of the Association for Unmanned Vehicles Systems International, writes in the Hill on Friday that the Federal Aviation Administration essentially needs to hurry up and write regulations for drones. After a trade show in Orlando, Fla., he writes:

While the industry continues innovating and growing, regulations haven’t kept pace. The [unmanned aircraft systems] on display in Orlando are ready to leave the showroom floor and take to the air, but the FAA hasn’t created the regulations they need to fly. Industries are already lining up to use the technology, and the FAA needs to work fast to catch up.

But they can’t come quickly enough for Toscano, who cites plans by a couple of well-known companies and says: “The FAA must act soon.” More from the piece:

UAS have generated enthusiasm both across the country and internationally, as people develop innovative new uses for the technology. From Amazon’s plans for quick delivery to Google’s plans to bring the Internet to the world to hobbyists taking stunning videos of whales, people are excited about how they can use this technology.

This is an exciting time for aviation, and regulators, users and the industry need to work together to ensure that UAS are used safely, responsibly and able to reach their full potential.

Pilots are already in fact flying unmanned aircraft, defying FAA restrictions. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month that the near-collision between a drone and a commercial jet over Florida added urgency to efforts by regulators to impose new rules. Drones across the U.S. monitor crops, take real-estate photographs, shoot commercials and perform other tasks, the article said.